The Board found that the cause of death was due to esophageal carcinoma and Barrett's esophagus, which resulted from reflux disease. The veteran did not have these conditions during service or within one year after discharge. There is no evidence linking his exposure to Agent Orange to his condition.
The deciding factor: There is no medical evidence showing the presence of esophageal cancer or Barrett's esophagus in service or within a year of discharge, and there is no link between the veteran's exposure to herbicides and his condition.
- Claimed conditions
- esophageal carcinoma, Barrett's esophagus
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 7, 2003
- Citation
- 0302434
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0302434.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for cirrhosis, hepatitis C, hepatocellular carcinoma, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), gastritis, Barrett's esophagus, and obstructive sleep apnea but dismissed the claim for an acquired psychiatric disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for squamous cell carcinoma, actinic keratosis, GERD, and Barrett's esophagus due to insufficient evidence regarding their relationship to in-service sun exposure or service-connected hypertension.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for Barrett's esophagitis, GERD, and esophageal carcinoma based on the Veteran's exposure to herbicides during active service in Vietnam.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to a prohibited concurrent election under VA claims processing rules.
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